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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMEEIOA. 












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HISTORY OF SARATOGA 

AND THE 

BURGOYNE CAMPAIGN 

OF 1777. 



AN ADDRKSS 

By Gen. Edward F. Eullard, 

of saratoga springs. 



Delivered at Schuylerville, N. Y., July 4, 1876. 



(PlilCE, S5 CEJSfcrS. 



BALLSTON SPA, N, Y. 

PUBLISHED BY WATEKBUKY & INMAN. 

1876. 

/ 



HISTORY OF SARATOGA 



AN ADDRESS 



By Gen. Edward F. Eullard, 



OF SARATOGA SPRINGS. 



Delivered at Scliuylerville, N. Y., July 4, 1876. 




(PlilCE, 26 CEJ^fcrS. 



BALLSTON SPA, N. Y. 

PUBLISHED BY WATERBURY & INMAN. 

1876. 



^Aa/. Va.. \--jj , 



f*'-'^, 

5^^"" 



HISTORY OF SARATOGA 



An Address by Gen. Ed-ward F. Bnllard, delivered at Schuylerville, 
July 4th, 1875. 



We are assembled this Fourth day of July, 187G, in pursuance to the joint 
resolution of Congress, and the president's proclamation, which recommends 
that the people assemble this day in their several towns and cause to have 
delivered a historical sketch of such town from its foundation, and that one 
copy thereof be filed in the clerk's office of the county, and another be filed 
in the office of the librarian of congress, to the intent that a complete record 
may be obtained of the progress of our institutions during the first century 
of their existence. 

Standing as we do on ground made historical, and almost sacred, as the 
place where the British army under Burgoyne surrendered, October 17, 1777, 
the time allotted ua might be made interesting, if we should dwell upon the 
events of that immortal campaign. But it is due to history, as well as to carry 
out the resolution of Congress, that we should go somewhat into detail in 
regard to the early history of this particular locality. It is a remarkable 
coincidence that eastern New York should have been discovered from differ- 
ent directions, by hostile interests, during the same year (1609), about two 
hundred and sixty-seven years ago. From the north by the river St. Law- 
rence, Samuel Champlain, under authority of the Fiench, entered the lake, 
since bearing his name, and was the first white n^an who is known to have 
set foot upon our northern boundaries, wbich occurred on the 4th day of July, 
1609. From the south, the gallant Hendrik Hudson sailed up the bay, and 
landed upon Manhattan Island on the second day of September, of the same 
year, and in the name of Protestant Holland, took possession of the place 
destined to be the great metrop.)lis of the western world. Although Colum- 
bus had made his discoveries in 1493, or about one hundred and eleven ye^rs 
earlier, yet this portion of the great continent remained unknown until the 
voyages of Champlain and Hudson. Excepting the valley of the lower Hud- 
son, what is now the Empire State, with its vast domain, remained unknown 
for many years later. In November, 1856 President Fillmore exhibited to 
me at his residence in Buffalo, a very old map, which he had then recently 
found during his travels in Germany. It is to be regretted that we cannot 
at this time give the date ot it, but its face will give intrinsic evidence of its 



4 HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 

antiquity. Upon that map, what is known as Lake Ontario was brought 
down to a point near where Utica is now located, and Mohawk rirer is 
marked as its outlet. From the junction of the Mohawk and Hudson, down 
to the Atlantic, it was exceedingly correct, while it was evident that all 
north and west of that point had been made by conjecture, upon informa- 
tion probably obtained from the natives. The north, or main branch of the 
river was laid down as the outlet of what is now known as Saratoga lake, 
without dreaming that our noble Hudson had its sources over a hundred 
miles further north in the forests of the majestic Adirondacks. It is thus 
evident that Saratoga lake, its outlet (Fish Creek) and the river below that 
point, were regarded as places of great importance by the aborigines of that 
period. As the streams afforded the only natural liighways of the countr}', 
the Hudson, lakes George and Champlain, were the routes by which all 
communication was had between the hostile settlements. As Saratoga was 
about half way between New York and the St. Lawrence river, this place 
has witnessed the passage of the early pioneer, as well as the hostile bands 
of the seventeenth century. Every war between England and France and 
every revolution in England which affected its ruling monarch, reached this 
country and embroiled the savage tribes. 

The fertility of her soil, the beauty of iier scenery, and the utility of her 
great water courses and falls, early attracted the sagacious and enterprising 
European. Hence as early as November 4lli,- 1G84, we find that the natives 
had given a title to an immense tract of laud upon both sides of the river, to 
Peter Schuyler and others. About three years later, 1G87, we find that 
Dongan the royal governor of this colony, had been in negotiation with cer- 
tain Mohawk converts, then in Canada, to induce them to return, and they 
were willing to do so upon condition that he would secure to them a location 
at "Seraclitague," described as lying upon the Hudson river, about forty 
miles above Albany, evidently including the place where we now stand. It 
will thus be seen that those intelligent aboHgines selected this beautiful coun- 
try in preference to their former native Mohawk valley. From this time 
onward, for the next century, this locality was destined to be the great bat- 
tle ground between the opposing forces of civilization, which were then con- 
tending for the mastery of the human race. At this period no district, town 
or county hiid been organized under the name of Saratoga, but the whole 
country along the river, on each side to a considerable distance, was known 
under that general name. 

In the winter of lOOO the French and Indians came up Lake Champlain 
and Lake George and passed througb this district near what is now the vil- 
lage of Saratoga Springs, on their way to destroy Schenectady. 

In the year 1()!);{ another force of French and Indians came south over 
nearly the same route until they reached the gap or canyon in the mountain 
at what is now known as Stiles, in Wilton, about ten miles northwest of 
this i)lace and about five miles northeast of Saratoga Springs, %vhen they 
turned west and passed over to tlie Mohawk vallej-, where they destroyed 
the forts of those Indians friendly to the English. On their return they 
were jjursued :)y these Indians witli a force under Schuyler, from Albany, 



HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 5 

and overtaken at the Stiles place, where the French built a temporary fort 
and where a sanguinary battle ensued, when the enemy hastily retreated. 
This is the first important battle between the French and English that we 
find recorded in history as having occurred in the Saratoga district. It was 
nearly two centuries ago and nearly a century before tiie mineral springs 
were known to the white race. These raids and wars continued to disturb 
this locality until about the year 



1700 



Soon after the opening of the eighteenth century the English government, 
to form a barrier against the French, saw the importance of planting a 
colony as far nortii as practicable upon the upper Hudson river. This no 
doubt induced the government to confirm the Indian title of 1684. The 
governor of Canada in a letter to the king of France, Feb. 13 1731, ascribes 
that motive to the English for conferring this grant upon certain influential 
residents of Orange (Albany). Hence we find that the first legal title to the 
land here from a civilized government was granted October 29, 1708, by 
Lord Cornbury, the governor of this colony, to Peter Philip Schuyler, Robert 
Livingston, Derick Wessells, John Johnson Bleecker, Joliannes Schuyler, 
and Cornelius Van Dyck. It began on the west side of the Hudson river, 
at the south side of the mouth of the creek called "Tionooudehowee," (now 
at the village of Mechauicville) and extended north to the mouth of the 
creek on the east side of the Hudson river, called "Dioneondehowee," (now 
called the Batten-Kill) about one mile north of Schuylerville, and extending 
six miles to each side of the river, except that the portion on the east side of 
the river was bounded south by the Hoosac paient. In the patent it was 
estimated to be about twenty two miles north and south, but wlien it was 
Surveyed by a straight line it was only alout seventeen miles lonsj. Thus it 
wiPi be seen, that these six purchasers obtained a princely estate of about 
204 square miles, or ever one hundred and thirty thousand acres of the 
finest land on the continent. It included the most of the present towns of 
Saratoga and Stillwater, in the county of Saratoga, and the town of Easton 
in the present county of Washington. As near as we can learn from history 
ana tradition, the Schuylers, soon after 1708, erected buildings near what is 
now known as Schuylerville, and induced some tenants to remain as perma- 
nent settlers. About the year 1709 a nnlitary road was constructed from 
Batten-Kill on the ease side of the liver to Fort Edward and thence to 
Whitehall, a distance of about forty miles. As the river was navigable from 
Stillwater rapids north to the Batten-Kill, about 12 miles, most of the travel 
here was by water, and the landing for the north to connect with the new 
road was on the east side of the river, it is evident that the village in the 
early part of the last century was partly on that side of the river. 

In 1709, Col. Schuyler built a fort about a mile northeast of the place 
■where we now stand. It was located on the east side of the river on the 



t) HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 

second highland south of the mouth of the Batten-Kill in what was then 
Saratoga, but now in tlie county of Washington, and was upc^n the farm now 
occupied by Simon Siieldou, whose ancestors have occupied the same about 
a century. It is probable that the Schuylers did not become permanent resi- 
dents here as early as that period, as we find tliat Philip, (afterwards major- 
general) was born in Albany in 1731. AVe find, however, that in 1745, Capt. 
Peter Schuyler was a permanent resident here, and his house was on ike 
■west side of the river just south of the present vilhifje bearing the family 
name, and about thirty rods south of Fish Cret'k and about the same dis- 
tance east of the famous Schuyler mansion, built soon after 1777 and now 
owned and occupied by George Strover, Esq. The governor of Canada in 
the same letter of the 13th day of February, 1731 to the king of France, 
proposed to build a fort upon lake Champlain at Crown Point, and submit- 
ted with it a map of that lake and of the Hudson river called by him the 
Orange riyer. The only places of sufficient military importance to be named 
on that map, were Manathe (New York) Orange (Albany) Sarahtogua, and 
the great carrying place (Fort Edward). Although that was 122 years after 
Champlain had made his discov^Mios, yet the French engineer who made 
that map supposed the Mwhawk river joined the Hudson west of Glen's Falls, 
and it is so laid down on his map and so treated in the governor's dispatch. 
He proposes to build the fort at Crown Point as a convenient point from 
which to harass the English as they had from 1689, to 1699. To carry out 
that plan we find that in November, 1745, and about thirty-two years before 
Burgoyne's surrender, the village then called Saratoga was destroyed by the 
French and Indians. In Lossing's history of the Schuyler family he makes 
the date November 28th, but in Stonij's liistory of the life and times of Sir 
William Johnson he put the dale at November 17th, and the latter would 
seem to be the more reliable date, as the massacre was the cause of an angry 
dispute between George Clinton, then governor, and the colonial assembly 
then in session at New York, and the records of that assembly show that it 
adjourned November 38th. At that period it was evident that this was the 
extreme outpost of the English on the frontier. The village consisted of 
about thirty families and one hundreil and fifty persons, many of whom were 
slaves. As the fort was then on the east side of the river tht;re can be no 
reasonable doubt that the main part of the village was yet on the same side 
of the river, although the Schuyler residence and some of the mills vvere on 
the west side. This attack was made by the Indians and French at the dead 
hour of night, without warning, and many persons killed and 109 captured 
and taken to Canada. The fort was destroyed ; every house burned, and 
every building except one saw miil which was not discovered. We have 
not been able to locate that mill, but judging from circumstances it must 
have been on the Batten-Kill about half a mile up stream and east of the 
Hudson river where tlie Clark's Mills now stand. Capt. Schuyler was killed 
in his own house while bravely defending himself, as were many others. 
We have not space for more details. The same horror which had occurred 
at Schenectady, fifty-five years^earlier, (1690) was re-enacted here in Novem- 
ber 1745. This Cai)tain Peter Schuyler, who then lost his life, was an uncle 



HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 7 

of Gen Phillip Schuyler, whose buildings were burned by Burgoyne^S years 
later. The first was fighting against the French to maintain the supremacy 
of the English on this continent, while the latter was in the cause of the 
colonies, attempting to overthrow that s inie English supremacy and estab- 
lish an independent re;mblic. The old Schuyler residence which was 
burned in 1745, stood within the lines of the present Champhiin canal, and 
when the same was enlarged and widened to the west within a few years 
past, the excavation revealed the remains of the old chimney and fireplace, 
some of the relics of which are yet preserved. In 174G, the fort on the east 
side of the river, was rebuilt by order cf the legislature, and was mainly 
constructed of logs and timber, on the heights overlooking the river, 
and it was then named Fort Clinton in honor of the governor. This fort 
should not be confounded with the entrenchments, thrown up in 1777, 
further south, and opposite Schuylerville, which the Americans made to cut 
off the retreat of Burgoyne. 

In the year 1746 the war on this frontier continued. On the 13th day of 
May of than year, as three men belonging to the garrison of Saratoga wei'e 
fishing near the fort, they were surprised by Indians, who killed a son of 
William Norwood and took a German prisoner, while the third escaped to 
the fort. On the loth day of December of the same year, we find in the 
newspapers of New York, it was published that the Indians lately killed 
four men and took four others prisoners at Saratoga. Capt. Schuyler, in 
command of the militia here, went out to their assistance, but came near 
being cut off', and with dilffculty i-etreated to the fort. At this time the fort 
was occupied in part by some New Jersey troops. On the 13th day of 
October, 1746, at Saratoga, sixteen men were killed and taken about a mile 
from the fort. They belonged to Langdon's and Hart's companies. There 
were about one hundred and fift}' Indians when they attacked a party guard- 
ing some wagons on the west side of the river south of Fish Creek. 

In the year 1747 the war continued more sanguinary than ever along the 
borders. On the 7th aay of April of that year the French and Indians under 
the command ofM. de St. Luc to the number i)f 200 attacked Capt. Trent and 
Lieut. Proctor as they were passing along the river near the ruins of Capt. 
Schuyler's house. They were ambushed, and eiarht of their men killed and 
several wounded. In the meantime Capt. Livingston dispatched Capt. Brad t 
with a company from the fort on the east side of the riyer, to reinforce the 
party on the west side, when the enemy hastily retreated to the wilderness. 
Shortly before June 15 of that year a force of about 200 French and Indians 
made another attack on the fort, but it held out until reinforcements under 
Col. Schuyler arrived from Albany, when the enemy again retreated. About 
this time many raids from Canada penetrated as far as Massachusetts and 
Connecticut, where villages were burned, the innocent massacreed and 
others brought back as captives. The route from. Canada for those hostile 
incursions frequently led near here, leaving the river at the mouth of the 
Batten-Kill and passing thence southeasterly to New England. On the 
return of those hostile bands, many a weary captive has been led up this 



8 HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 

valley and in many narratives and letters giving an account of their hard- 
ships tlie familiar name of Saratoga appears. 

Thus the war which was begun in 1744 continued. The few inhabitants 
of this frontier were in continual alarm. During this period Sir William 
Johnson came up from Albany with an army, and passed this point, but did 
not meet any large force of the enemy and returned. As soon as any large 
force was withdrawn, the defenceless iuhubitants would again be left ex- 
posed to the tomahawk. In the feeble stale of the colony, the authorities 
concluded that fall to abandon this post, and the stores and ammunitiou 
were then transported back to Albany, and the fort burned December 1, 
1747. From that lime fo-ward, for some years, this whole country was 
abandoned to the French and Indians, ami Albany was the northern Eng 
lish outpost. The English under Gen. Lyman built a fort on the north side 
of Fish Creek at its confluence with the Hudson in August, 1755, which is 
only a few rods from where we are now assembled. The road now leading 
to the bridge crossing the river runs directly through it. Nelson in his work, 
and also French's Gazetteer of 1860 of our state, by mistake asserts that this 
fort was built by the French. Its name "Fort Hardy" is conclusive evidence 
of its English origin as Sir Charles Hardy was then governor of that colony. 
It is another remarkable coincidence, that only 33 years later the army of 
Burgoyne, in 1777, laid down their arms within this very fort, to the patriotic 
Americans, then struggling for their freedom. Notwithstanding these troub- 
lous times, during the year 1750, John R. Bleecker made a survey of the Sara- 
toga patent for the owners, and divided it into twenty-eight great lots about 
one-half of a mile wide, extending six miles west from the river, which, at 
the southwest corner about reaches the present site of the camp meeting 
grounds, near Hound Lake, and at the northwest, extending about one mile' 
north of Stafford's bridge. It was also surveyed into subdivisions by cross 
lines, and the owners stood ready to give leases or deeds to those who dare 
venture into this hostile territory. Very few, however, would risk their 
lives at this early period, as this ever continuec. to be the great hig'iway for 
the passage of hostile armies. Late in 1755 the English, uuder Sir William 
Johnson, at Lake George, after a sanguinary battle, defeated the French 
under the celebrated Dirskau, which for the time, held the enemy in check. 
Only two years later, (1757), tlie French, under Montcalm, recaptured Lake 
George, and massacred the brave Colonel Monroe and his army, who had 
but a f( w months before passed through here on his way to the north. Only 
a year later Abercrombie passed here with an army of 1(5,000 men on his 
way to Lake George and Ticonderoga, where, on the 8th day of July, 1758 
he suffered the terrible repulse, well known to all students of history.* 

*Those with the Scotch portion of the British army, made the attack, and 
so bravely cut their way through the abattis. For hours they withstood the 
terrible fire of the French musketry without the ability to return it with 
effect. Night coming on, Abercrombie, who had not been within miles of the 
battle, called off the troups, and commenced his retreat to Albany. Colonel 
Fitch with his colonial regiments covered the retreat of the regulars very 
much in the same manner that Washington did at Braddock's defeat. 



HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 9 

With and comprising a portion of that army were sixteen colonial regiments 
under the command of the senior Colonel, Thomas Fitch.* 

The next year Gen. Amherst with an army of 12,000 men again left Albany 
and passed here on his way to retrieve the losses of the year previous, and 
in July, 1759, he took possession of Ticonderoga and Crown Point without 
resistance on the part of the French. The capture of Quebec in September, 
1759, by the brave Gen. Wolf, ended the most sanguinary fighting of this 
seven year's war. During that period, commonly called the French v\'ar, 
the great majority of the troops were furnished by New England. Her 
people did not feel that any peace would long continue while Lake Cham- 
plain was under control of a hostile power. Southern New England was 
then an old settled country, corppared with New York. The small colony 
of Connecticut furnished more troops than New York. The following is 
from an old Lieutanant's commission now in the possession of a citizen of 
this countv, dated March 33, 1759, given to John Caltorn, under the hand 
and seal of "Thomis Fitch, Esq , Captain General and Governorin-Chief, in- 
and over his Majesty's English colon}' of Cunnecticut, in New England, 
America." The commission was in a regiment of foot, raised "for invading 
Canada, and carrying war into the heart of the enemy's possessions." The 
treaty between the English and French signed at Foutainbleau, France,. 
February 10, 1763, by which all of Canada was ceded to England, for a time 
gave peace to this distracted locality. During the next ten years, bold pio- 
neers from New England and southern New York began to settle in this, 
vicinity. As yet, all of this locality was called Saratoga, extending south to- 
Mechanicville, and north to the river, and included what is now Saratoga. 
Springs. Before 1770, we find permanently settled within this territory Jolm 
Strover, on the farm now owned b}' James Bailej', Esq. ; James Brisbin 
upon the farm now owned by his grandson, James C. Brisbin, and Conrad 
Cramer upon the farm now occupied by John Smith, about three miles 
southwest of Schuylerville. The latter was an enterprising German, who 
emigrated to this country when young, and left four sons, of whom George, 
Conrad and John afterwards were member of the legislature of the slate of 
New York. Jesse Mott, a Quaker, resided upon the farm a short distance 
east of Dean's Corners; Stephen Viele upon the Wagman farm, and Heze- 
kiah Dunham upon the farm now owned by Hiram Cramer. Next to Gen. 
Schuyler, the latter was the most active patriot in his section. Thomas 
Smith, the ancestor of several of your townsmen, resided on the hill where 
Stephen Smith, his grandson, now resides. 

Among the names made famous in this locality by all of the writers upon 
the campaign of Burgoyne is Dovegat. It signifies a cove or bay of water. 
It in fact represents a bay about seventy feet wide of deep water extending 
about a mile northwest from the river into which a small stream empties. 
It is about three miles south of Schuylerville, and as the bridges at that p«int 
were destroyed, the British and American armies were brought to a halt at 
that place. It is now known as Coveville and the farm on the north side is 
now occupied by Charles H. Sarle. Among the residents south of that point 



10 HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 

mentioned by Baron Reidesel in 1777, was a man named Sword, whose bouse 
was near Van Bureu's Ferry, wbere Ro])ert Sarle now resides, about six 
miles south of SchuylerTille. Within that part of Saratoga, afterwards set 
off as Stillwater, there were settlements made before 1770, among which 
were George Palmer, and also the Thompsons. March 24,1772, the colonial 
legislature first passed an act organizing this territory into a legal entity. 
What is now Saratoga county, was then divided into two districts, "Half- 
moon" and "Saraghtoga." As there were no towns then organized here, the 
Saraghtoga district included Easton, now in the county of Washington, and 
nearly all the present county of Saratoga north of Anthony's Kill, which 
enters the Hudson river at Mechanicville, and so continued until April 1, 
1775, when the west part of the county was orerauizcd into a separate district 
called Ball's Town. As there was no law requiring deeds to be recorded 
and no place to do so, exce| t with the secretary of state, or county clerk, at 
Albany, but few can be found, and hence the difficult}^ of tracing the name 
or location of settlers before that time. After the division of the district, 
April 1, 1775, as before stated, Saraghtoga yet included Easton, and all of the 
present county of Saratoga, which is now known as Stillwater, Malta, Sara- 
toga, Northumberland, Moreau, Wilton, Saratoga Springs and the eastern 
portions of Greenfield and Corinth, and so continued until March 7, 1788. 
The west line of ibis old Saratoga district ran through near what is now 
called Greenfield Centre. When therefore we are reading of the great events 
which occurred between those dates, and which covered the whole period 
of the revolutionary war, they must be interpreted with these descripious in 
view, to make history intelligible. We have now briefly given the history 
of the first century, and which brings us down to 



July 4, 1776. 



Time will not allow us to treat of the great questions agitating two conti- 
nents, which led to the immortal declaration enunciated at Philadelphia just 
one century ago. A brief narrative of the great events which had their 
centre here, is all that the resolution of congress contemplated. These are 
80 important, that the historian has already immortalized nearly every detail, 
and we might content ourselves by referring the reader to the Memoirs of 
Gen James Wilkinson, published in 1816 ; History of New York, by Dun- 
lap ; History of the war of the Independence of the United States, by Botta; 
the life and times of Sir William Johnson; Memoirs «f Gen. Reidesel, also 
of Madame Reidesel ; and also. Reminiscences of Saratoga, by William L. 
Stone, and Sketches of Northern New York, by N. B. Sylvester, which con- 
tain very full accounts of that romantic campaign. As, however, time is 
fast obliterating many of the old landmarks, your speaker, (a native of this 
Tillage) has endeavered to aid in locating and interpreting some of them for 
the benefit of future generations. About June 18, 1776, congress appointed 



HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 11 

Gen. Gates to the command of the array of the north and made him dicta- 
tor in Canada for six months. On the 16th day of July, 1776, we find that 
Gates was in commmul at Ticonderoga, and during that wliole season, stirring 
times were had on the Champlain and in its vicinity. Ail of the troops and 
supplies passed here on their way north, mostly carried upon batteaux, 
navigated up the river. Within six years past, a shell was found in the river 
about a mile south of Schuylerville which is fully eight inches in diameter, 
and which probably was lost overboard while being transported, within the 
century ending October 1777. In the spring of 1777, Gen Schuyler arrived 
at Albany and assumed the command of the northern department. June 
20, we find he was at Ticonderoga. About that time Burgoyne commenced 
his movement from Montreal, expecting to sunder the colonies and put an 
end to tlie rebellion. July 4, 1777, Gen. Burgoyne took possession of Mount 
Defiance, which commanded Ticonderoga, and which compellect our army 
to evacuate tlial place a few days later. At Whitehall, then called Skeens- 
borough, Burgoyne issued a proclamation to the people offering pardon, and 
cilling upon the people to send a delegation of ten from each town to meet 
at Caslleton, (Vermont), July 15. In the meantime, the remnant of uur army 
reached Fort Edward, where «n the 13lh day of July, Gen. Schuyler issued 
a counter proclamation. The British piessed on, and our army was obliged 
to retreat, and on the 28th day of July, 1777, it was encamped at Moses Kill 
about eight miles north of this place. Gen. Schuyler on that clay, wrote a 
letter to Gen. Washington, dated at "Saratoija." July 30, our army moved 
from Moses Kill to Schuylerville, and after halting here a few days, on the 
second day of August, proceeded to Stillwater. On tlie 12th day of August, 
while their main force remained at Fort Miller a detachment of the British 
marched from the noithsideof the Batten-Kill for Bennington, where on 
the 16th, it was repulsed by our brave New Englanders, under General 
Stark. This success gave great confidence to our cause and induced recruits 
to uurry forward, and join Schuyler's army upon the Hudson. On the 10th. 
of September the advance portion of the British army crossed from the east 
side of the Hudson river to the west of il,about two miles north of Schuyler- 
ville. At that place the river could be forded upon the rapids until witiiin a 
short distance of the west shore, where a short bridge was constructed across 
a deep, narrow channel in the rocks. The point where the army left the 
bridge is upon the farm now owned by Daniel A. BuUard, and the excava- 
tion through the embankment is yet plainly visible, and will long remain a 
monuajent of that event. The British army made a short tarry here and 
their adyanced posts threw up intrenchments from near the site of the 
present Reformed church, extending southerly along near the present resi- 
dence of Charles W. Mayhew. August 11, Gen. Schuyler left Stillwater, 
and on the 18th, posted his array on Van Schaick's Island at the mouth of the 
Mohawk river, being the first island soutli of Waterford. In a military view, 
Schuyler's leaving Stillwater was regarded by congress as a mistake, and 
hence Gen. Gates was appointed to supercede him and he arrived and 
assumed command August 19. That island, as a place of defense was a 



12 , HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 

naliiral Gibrtiltitr, being of tiiaugular shape, with high perpeiulicular rock 
embankments nearly around it. Upon the Northeast corner intrenchmenls 
were thrown up which are yet visible as we pass in the cars near the south 
end of the bridge. If Burgoyne had reached that point, he could have 
■crossed the Mohawk a few miles further west and waited the arrival of the 
British army then coming up the Hudson, and being thus reinforced, could 
have surrounded the American army with a prospect of success. In that 
strong position the British could not, with safely assault this island, but by 
taking possession of the high ground west of WalerfonI and north of Cohoes, 
could have commanded the position, the same a;; Mount Defiance had com- 
manded Ticonderoga but a few months previous to that time. Knowing 
the condition of atfairs as they were subsequently ascertained, it was evi- 
dently a wise move to march the American army back to the high lands in 
Stillwater, a short distance north from Bemis Heights, and about lo miles 
north of the Mohawk and twenty-five miles distant from Albany. The 
position thus selected lay between the Hudson river on the east and Saratoga 
lake only six miles to the west ; the high lands west of the river valley were 
•cut by three deep ravines leading easterly, forming strong natural barriers 
against an approaching army ; the whole country in this vicinity was 
a wilderness, and the high ground approaches so near the river there, that it 
was the most advanlageo'us point in the whole valley to dispute the passage 
of the British army moving from the north. Such was the place selected by 
the experienced Polish patriot Kosciusko, and approved by Gen. Gates, as 
the Thermopylea of the struggle for American freedom. 

Gen. Schuyler was a pure man — a true patriot, a man of great sagacity 
Hiid good judgment. Of course he acted from the best knowledge of facts 
that he could then obtain. Gen. Washington had probably better means of 
knowing the condition of general afiairs, and it was not surprising, therefore, 
that he saw the (nor of Schuyler, and directed Gates to lead the army 
further back into the wilderness. Tliis position brought the armies face to 
^ace; the small stream emptying into the river at Wilbur's Basin being 
•betwfen them. Circumstances would necessarily soon bring on a conflict, 
%nd the sanguinary battle of September 19 followed. Both parties claimed 
Ihe victory, but it mas not decisive. The scene of that battle was on Free- 
caan's farm, about eight miles fron\ Schuylerville, a little to the west of 
south, and about ten miles southeast of Saratoga Springs. As the American 
army was daily growing stronger, and the British weaker, the latter could 
not long remain inactive, and the l)attle of October 7 followed upon nearly 
the same ground where the former had taken place. The engagement 
resulted in a substantial victory for our cause, and compelled the British to 
attempt an escape by a retreat to the north. Their army reached this vil- 
lage about October 10, pursued closely by Gen. Gates. Schuyler had made 
,1 mistake two months earlier, as we have seen, by moving his army too far 
--ouih. So now Gen. (Jates made a mistake, which if the British had taken 
.idvantaueof it, might have changed the final result. Anticipating a retreat 
i>y the British army about Oct. 0, Gates dispatchetl Gen. Fellows with l.oOO 
»jien on the east side of the river to pass north and cut off the retreat. They 



HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 13 

proceeded on the east side and across the Batten-Kill where they they should 
have remained for safety. But they were ordered to cross the riyer at that 
point, and did so, (at the same ford where Burgoyne had crossed a moalh 
earlier,) and took position on the high lauds west of that ford, less than two 
miles north of Schuylerville. While there one night a British regiment 
under Lieut. Col. Southerlaud marched around the American camp without 
being discovered, and he urged Burgoyne to attack them. Fortunately for 
our cause Burgoyne hesitated, and the ne.xt day Gen. Gates corrected the 
mistake and ordered Fellows to recross the river and take position upon the 
north of the Batten Kill, where he remained until Burgoyne's surrender. If 
Burgoyne had captured that detachment of the American army his way of 
retreat would have been open and the experienced Gen. Reidesel felt assured 
that the British army could reach the lakes in safety where an abundance of 
vessels and supplies could have easilj' been obtained. Thus at times upon a 
single breath seemes to rest the great events which are to determine the 
future of nations. 

A month earlier, on the way south, the British had erected earth works on 
the east side of the river opposite Schuylerville, to hold back the American 
reinforcement coming from the east. The Americans now took possession 
of the same intrenchments, faced them to the west, and poured a continual 
fire upon the enemy posted where is now the present village of Schuyler- 
ville. What was known as the village then, and was called Saratoga, accord- 
ing to contemporary writers, consisted of about thirty isolated houses on the 
south side of Fish creek. The old Dutch reformed church then stood about 
one-third of a mile south of Fish creek, on tlie side hill west of the present 
turnpike road and just south of the road leading westerly to Victory. That 
church was then used by the British as a hospital, and as we now learn from 
George Strover, a young woman who was setting by a window in the church, 
eating an apple, was instantly killed by a rifle shot from the American army. 
About this time Burgoyne occupied the Gen. Schuyler residence for his 
headquarters for a single night; but the approach of the American forces 
drove him from there, and he next located his headquarters in the centre of 
his camp, probably a short distance west of the new and elegant school 
edifice on the heights overlooking this beautiful landscape. Until the sur- 
render, his army remained here and threw up entrenchments, facing the 
southeast, extending nearly as far back as the new cemetery, and thence 
extending south on the same elevation towards Victory Mills. The barracks 
used for a hospital were on a farm now owned by Alanson Welch at the 
north end of the village. The house now owned by the family of the late 
William B. Marshall, about one mile further north, is yet standing, and was 
then occupied for the time being by the ladies who accompanied the English, 
and by the wounded ofiicers of their army. Madame Reidesel, one of the 
most heroic female characters of any age, was with her husbnnd during this 
period, and in her contemporaneous letters, written to her friends in Ger- 
many, has recorded most faithfully the romantic incidents of that eventful 
campaign, and immortalized the house which yet stands as a monument of 
those times. In her letters she stated Jhat under the house "were three 



14 HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 

beautiful cellars. I proposed tliat ilie most dangerouslj^ wounded of the 
officers should be brought into one of them ; that the women should remain 
in another, and that all the rest should stay in the third, which was nearest 
the entrance. I had just cleansed the cellars, when a fresh and terrible can- 
nonade threw us all once more into alarm * * * niy children were 
already under the cellar steps, * * eleven cannon balls went through the 
house, and we could plamly hear tiiem rolling over our heads. One poor 
soldier, (Surgeon Jones), who.se leg they were about to amputate, having 
been laid upon a table for this purpose, had the other leg taken ot! by 
another cannon ball in the very middle or the operation. His comrades all 
ran off, and when they again came back they found him in one corner of 
the room, where he had rolled in anguish, scared}' breathing." The Ameri- 
cans had taken possession of the highlands north of Batten-Kill, about three 
■quarters of a mile northeast of this house, antl from that point these balls 
were mainly tired. The one which killed Surgeon Jones entered the front 
parlor at the northeast corner, and passed through the plank forming the 
partition on the south side of the room, the particular plank hit standing 
west of the south door. This shows conclusively that the cannon were tired 
from a point north of the Batten-Kill. At that time this house belonged to 
the Lansing family, of Albany, and was probably occupied by them as a 
summer residence. It was deserted before the British army arrived from 
the north in September. It was a two story house, havinir a gable or French 
roof, fronting east with a hall in the middle and a room at each end. The 
modern historian (writing in Wu) is mistaken when he says, "the house 
was allowed to fall to decay a few years since." On the contrary, it was 
merely improved by putting on a new flat roof and making the cellar still 
deeper. One of the old rafters and the plank of the partition, each shat- 
tered by a cannon ball, are still carefully preseryed on the spot by Mrs. 
Marshall. She has kindly placed in my hands a gold piece, found by Samuel 
Marshall on those premises about fifty years ago, which is stamped, "Geor- 
gius III., J)ei Oratia" with his profile on the one side, and on the other the 
British crown, 177G. Tliis was evidently a coin lost by the officers in 1777.* 
A Mr. Willard, residing nenr the foot of the mountain opposite the battle 
ground, by night would display signals from its top l)y ilitferent liijhts, in 
such manner as from time to time to give the Americans the location and 
moTcments of the British ariuy. That mountain is plainly visible from 
Albany and Fort Edward. It has ever since been known by the name of 
"Willard's mountain." That is certainly one of the earliest systems of tele- 
graphing known to have been put in practice. To return to events of 
October, 1777. As Burgojne abandoned the south side of Fish creek, he 
caused the residence of Gen. Schuyler and his mills to be burned. That 
residence was located about sixty feet further south ihan the present one, 



*The whole country in this vicinity was strewn with relics. About the 
year IHoO Ebenezer Leggett w lile excavating for a t)arn upon the Freeman 
farm found several hundred dollars in gold among human remains, appar 
«ntly cariied in bolts. 



HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 15 

and the ancient lilac bushes then in the rear garden, are yet standing near 
the canal. The wills were upon the north side of the creek, near th« same 
spot where Bullard's flcuring mill now stands. At that time there was no 
village north of Fish creelj, and only one or two buildings besides the mills 
and barracks, so far as can be ascertained from history or tradition. Gen. 
Gates' army was then mainly stationed upon the highlands south of Fish 
creek, extending up to a point opposite Vict(»ry Mills. As an army of six 
thousand men in a locality almost a wilderness, could not draw many new 
supplies in a hostile country, matters were socu brought to a crisis by the 
surrender of the whole British Army, October 17, 1777. The privates stacked 
their arms, etc., within the lines of old Fort Hardy, on the north side of 
Fish creek, upon }'onder flat, a few rods below where we stand.* Burgoyne 
and his officers crossed over Fish creek in company with Adjutant Wilkin- 
son, of Gen. Gates' staff, and were presented to Gen. Gates. Gen. Wilkinson 
afterwards wrote an account of it, from which we extract: "Gen. Gates, 
advised of Burgoyne's approach, met him at the head of his camp ; Bur- 
goyne, in a rich royal uniform, and Gates in a plain blue frock. When 
they approached nearly within sword's length they reined up and halted. I 
then named the gentlemen, and Gen. Burgoyne raised his hat most grace- 
fully, said : 'The fortune of war. Gen. Gates, has made me your prisoner.' 
To which the conqueror, returning a courtly salute, promptly replied : 'I 
shall always be ready t© bear testimony that it has not been through any 
fault of your Excellency.' " As near as we are now able to locate the head 
quarters of Gen. Gates they were near the spring on the wfst side of the 
turnpike about half a mile south of Fish creek. f 

The importanee of this event, even at the end. of a century, cannot be 
fully coniprehenc.ed. Eminent authorities have pronounced it one of the 

*Since this address was delivered E. R. Mann of Ballston Spa, who is well 
versed in American history ,has called my attention to the Stars and Stripes 
which we claim to be natives ©f old Saratoga. 

The flag was adopted by congress, June 14, 1777, and on the 10th day of 
September 1777 was first announced to our army as the emblem of the young 
nation. The ladies at once made a banner with the thirteen stars, which 
was displayed at the head of Gates' army. On the 17th day of October, 1777 
it here first waved in triumph over an American army and was thereby 
consecrated to the cause of liberty. 

fOur favorite Yankee Doodle was also here first adopted as the hymn of 
freedom. Although some four verses of it were composed by a British sur- 
geon about twenty years earlier at East Albany to redicule the Connecticut 
brigade which then appeared under Col. Thomas Fitch, we do not find that 
it was ever adopted by our side earlier than October 1777. After the British 
army had stacked their arms in Fort Hardy October 17, they crossed Fish 
creek and passed south through the long lines of the America army. As our 
victorious host did not feel like insulting a fallen foe it was suggested that a 
lively tune be played for their consolaiion, and by common consent, the 
melodious Yankee Doodle was given by the whole American lines, while the 
rank and file of the British were passing between them. Unless some other 
locality shall prove an older title, you can justly claim that our famous 
Yankee Doodle, was first sung in this valley, as the national tune of free 
America. The 4th Connecticut regiment did gallant service in the Revolu- 



16 -HISTORY OF .SAKATOGA. 

greatest battles known in human history, when measured by its far reaching 
consequences.:}: 

As a result of this success in December 1777, France made a treaty with 
our commissioners recognizing the indrpendent character of the United 
States, which in (hat instance amounted practically to a declaration of war 
against England, anil France soon gave national aid to our cause. It was 
the first great success of the people struggling for self-government against 
the prestige of king craft and despotism. It has been well said, that without 
this result at Saratoga, Bunker Hill would have been insignificant and York 
town an impossibility. Cireat and crushing as was the defeat at Saratoga, 
the war was not yet ended, and the sirutrgle continued for five years longer. 
Nor did this locality escape the trials and hurdships of those times which 
tried men's souls. The march and counter march of this hostile army with 
its barbarous allies, had completely desolated the whole region hereabouts. 
This county had been richly laden with tiie golden harvest and domestic 
animals for the use of the husbandman. As a specimen, the farm of James 
Brisbin had sufficient wheat ¥»nd cattle to have paid the purchase price, but 
it was all taken and consumed by Burgoyne's army without compensation, 
notwithstanding the fair promises made in his proclamation of July 10, 
before stated. We should except a single cow-, which escaped from her 
captors, returned home anc^was afterwards secreted and saved. After the 
surrender, the farmers gradually returned to their rural homes, erected new 
log houses, and began again to till the soil. But little progress, however, 
was made, as this valley lay in the track of the Indians and tories, who had 
fled to Canada, and made repeated raids into this county. Such murderous 
incursions were made in May, 1779, in this locally ; October (I, 1780, when 
Gen. Gordon and a large number of citizens of Ballston and Milton were 



tionary war at White Plains, Trenton and [Saratoga, and Andrew Fitch, 
a son of Col, Thomas Filch was a Lieut. Col. in that regiment and jMobably 
bad the pleasure of hearing that tune under different circumstances, from 
those under which his father had heard it in derision twenty years earlier. 

:}:Haliam, the celebrated liistorian of the middle ages, in speaking of the 
decisive battles defines them as "those few battles, of which a contrary event 
would have essentially varied the drama of the world in all its subsequent 
scenes." An eminent English authority, E. S. Crecy professor of ancient and 
modern history in the university college, London as late as 1851, selected 
what he deemed as the fifteen decisive battles of the world, beginning with 
the battle of Marathon which occurred 23G6 years ago, and ending with 
Waterloo which was fought in 1815. Among those fifteen great battles, this 
English author includes Saratoga. * In speaking of it, he says : "Nor can 
any military event be said to have exercised more important influence on 
the future fortunes of mankind than the complete defeat of Burgoyne's 
expedition m 1777." * * * "When the news of the capture of Ticonde- 
roga by the liritish army July 4, K77, reached Paris, the American com- 
missioners in despair, had almost broken oft all negotation with France, and 
they endeavored to open communication with England, in which ihey were 
not successful, but when the news of Saratoga readied Paris, the whole scene 
was changed. ' Franklin and his brother coramisssioners found all of their 
difficulties with the French government vanished." 



HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 1 

carried as captives to Canada; 1781, when Joe Bettjs, the Ballston tory, the 
second time appeared at Ballston and carried away many captives ; August 
1781, when the tory Waltermire, with his Indian allies, returned as far 
south as Albany with intent to capture Gen. 8chuyler ; April 14, 1783, in the 
southwest part of the county, when Gonzalez and his eldest son were massa- 
cred and a son of 14 carried away a captive. The raid of May, 1779, more 
immediately affected this locality and the few inhabitants, scattered in the 
interior, fled from it to avoid certain destruction. After the surrender of 
Burgoyne, Conrad Cramer had returned to his farm, about three miles south- 
west of here and was living on the borders with his wife and four small 
children, when, on the 14th day of May, they had to flee for their lives. 
They hastily packed their wagon with what comforts one team could carry, 
and started on their flight southerly. They reached the river road and pro- 
ceeded as far south as the farm now owned by Lohnas, about five miles 
south of this place, wlien night overtook them. At that place there was a 
small house used as a tavern, but as it was already full, the Cramer family 
were obliged to remain in their wagon, and oa that same evening the mother 
gave birth to a child, (John Cramer), who afterwards became, probably, the 
most distinguished person ever born in this town.* The next morning ihe 
family continued the flight to what is now known as the Fitzgerald neigh- 
borhood, about three miles south of Mecha licville, where they obtained a 
small house, in which they remained until it was considered safe to return 
to their home in the wilderness. During the Gates campaign John Strover 
had command of a party of scouts, because he was well acquainted here- 
abouts. He was present at the execution of Thomas Lovelace, a malignant 
tory, who was hung upon an oak tree, about thirty rods south of where 
George Strover now resides. At that date the gravel ridge extended east as 
far as where the canal now is, and the oak tree stood upon the east point of 
the gravel ridge near where the store house of the Victory company now 
stands. When the Waterford and Whitehall turnpike was constructed 
through there, about 1813, the stump of the old oak was remoyed by the 
excavation. John Strover had frequently informed his son George that 
Lovelace was buried in a standing posture, near the tree. When the exca- 
vation took place, George stood by and saw the bones, yet in a standing 
posture removed from the very spot which had been pointed out by his 
father. During the campaign Burgoyne employed Lovelace md other tories 
as spies, and they were generally secreted in the woods between here and 
Saratoga Lake.f One day Capt. Dunham, then residing near the lake, in 
company with Daniel Spike and a colored man, was scouring the woods, 

*When John Cramer was born he weighed less than four pounds and his 
parents had but little hopes that he could be reared. At manhood he became 
a very large broad chested large headed man with an iron constitution and 
a giant intellect. He died at Waterford in this county June 1, 1870, aged 91 
years and 16 days. 

fAbout two miles west of Mechanicville on the highland north of 
Anthony's Kill is a place called Tory Hill. During Burgoyne's campaign 



18 HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 

and while crossing upon a tree which had fallen orer the brook east of the 
Wflgman farm, discoTcred fiye guns stacked in the hiding place of the spies. 
With a sudden rush, Dunham and his associates seized the guns and captured 
all five of the spies, bound and brought them into the American camp. We 
hare not been able to give the date of the arrest or execution of Lovelace^ 
but think it was after the close of Burgoyne's campaign.* Gen. Stark was 
then at Schuylervillc and presided at the court martial before which he was 
tried. With a vindictive tory tiement in their midst, and the Indians on the 
herders, but little progress was made in permanently settling this county^ 
until after peace was declaied. Although the Springs, eleven miles west of 
here, had been -discovered by the whites, and were visited by Sir. William 
Johnson in 1767, yet there were but a few log huts, if any there, prior to 
1783, when Gen, Schuyler first cut a road from here to the Springs, where he 
built the first frame building in 1784. After the termination of the revolu- 
tionary war, and about 1783, pioneers began more freely to settle in this 
locality. Gen. Abraham Ten Broeck of Albany, the counsel and guardian 
of the Patroon Van Rensselaer, had become the owner of a large share of 
the lands in the Saratoga patent, and he induced persons to locate upon 
them by giving what was called life leases, at a small annual rent. As a 
specimen, one is dated June 24, 1783, given to Zopher Scidmore, fv)r three 
lives, viz : to continue during the life of himself, his wife Mary, and his son 
David, upon paying a rent of £6 and 16 shillings; containing 136 acres, and 
being lot 15, in great lot 22. That farm is about six miles southwest 
of this place. As Virginia was called the mother of states, so Old Saratoga 
may be called the mother of towns. After the state of New York had 
became a state government and in running order, on the 7th day of March,. 
1788, an act was passed organizing towns, instead of districts. By that 
statute Stillwater, including Malta, was taken off from Saratoga, thus making 
what is now Sarataga county into four towns, viz: Halfnioon, Saratoga, 
Ballston and Stillwater, all of which were yet a part of Albany county. 

In 1777 there were a few houses jit what is now Stillwater village, and as 
that was the nearest point to the American headquarters some of the dis- 
patches were dated at Stillwater, although that whole territory was then 
within the Saratoga district. Hence the apparent confusion of calling the 
battle sometimes by the name of Stillwater and at other times of Saratoga 
meaning the same place. When Stillwater was taken off as a separate town, 
she included in her territory the fields upon which the two principal battle* 
were fought. The oldest native of tliis town now living, of whom we have 
knowledge, is Hannah (Fitch) Bullard, who was born September 9, 1787, in 
the eastern part of what is now Greenfield, but was then within the district 



many of the loyalist secreted themselves in the wilderness there for several 
weeks. They were regularly supplied with provisions and their camp guarded 
by pickets. They refused to join the American army and cautiously waited 
events before going into the British. 

*Prof. J. Dorman Steele in his School History of the U. B., gives the date 
of the execution of Lovelace as December 14, 1779. 



HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 19 

of Saratoga. She is present with us to-da)', aud may God ever bless her.* 
In 1789 that part of your territory lying east of the Hudson, was taken off 
from this famous old town and a new one formed called Easton. On the 
seventh day of February, 1791, this county was cut off from Albany and 
formed into an independent county, with the name of Saratoga. Before this 
date Jesse Toll had settled and built a house upon the flats about four miles 
south of here, upon lands which now belong to Henry C, and George R. 
Holmes, but as the lands were so low where the house was buiTt, it has been 
long since removed, and one recently erected on the hill. The records 
belonging to the old church before the revolution cannot be found, and were 
probably destroyed during the time it was occupied by the British as a hos- 
pital. The date of the oldest church record here now extant is July 10 
1789. There is recorded a meeting of the following persons, choosino- to 
belong to the Reformed Protestant Dutch and Presbyterian church (as it is 
■styled in the record) at that date. At that time it was agreed that the min- 
ister to be called should preach the English language. The names of the 
persons who were associated in the formation of this organization, are as 
follows: Peter Becker, Abraham Low, John Mahany, Simon De Rider, 
Corruth Brisbin. Jesse Toll, Julianna Finnc, Hendrick Van Buren, Jacobus 
Abeel, John Smith, John B. Schuyler, Nicholas V. D. Barch. Cornelius Me- 
'Lain, Jacob Dannaeds, Abraham Marshall, Solomon Wheeler, James Bris- 
bin, Stephen Viele, and one or two others. The officers then chosen were 
elders, Cornelius Van Veghteu, Peter Becker ; deacons, Jesse Toll, James 
Abeel. The minister who presided at this meetinsr was E. Westerlo, who 
was then settled at Albany. The first pastor was Samuel Smith, who was 
called the 7th day of October, 1789, who was ordained and installed as their 
pastor December lOth 1789. At that date the wooden church north of the 
creek was in process of erection, because of which, it was resolved to have 
preaching from house to house. December 2, 1791, this church was so far 
completed that it was resolved,by the consistory, to sell the pews on the second 
Tuesday of January, 1793. At the above meeting it was resolved, to pur- 
chase a parsonage and fifty acres of land. This wooden church was burned 
January 1, 1831. February 14, ISol, it was resolved to build another house 
of worship, and a building committee was appointed. The stone church 
was then erected. The present brick edifice was erected in 1856, and dedi- 
cated June 2, 1857. In 1798 this old town was shorn of mire of her territory 
by the organization of Northumberland, which took off all now included in 
Moreau and Wilion and the east part ©f Greenfield and Corinth. Th« 
Methodist Episcopal church was erected in this place in the year 1825, and 
the Baptist in 1833. The first Roman Catholic church was erected in tb9 
year 1845, which was burued January 22, 1871, and their new beautiful 
edifice was dedicated October 21, 1873. The Episcopal church was erected 

*Her father Ebenezer Fitch was a grandson of Gov. Fitch of ConnecticuL 
and served it the war and was at the battle of Stony Point. He movel 
from Connecticut to Saratoga in 1786. 



20 HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 

about the year 1867, a short distance east of Burgoyne's front entreuchiiieut. 
In 1812 this locality again witnessed the pomp and ceremony of war, as our 
troops destined for lower Canada and Lake Champlain, from lime to time 
passed here, making short halts on their way north. At that time, the 
Schuyler mills had been rebuilt and a very small number of other buildings 
erected north of Fish cretk, upon the site of the present village. At that 
time, as we are now informed by persons then residing here, there were not 
to exceed ten buildings on the site of your present flourishing village. There 
was one tavern, kept by Patterson, where the Schuylerville house now 
stands. The old cemetery was then on the west side of Broadway, north of 
Burgoyne street, and south of that tavern. At tliat time there was but one 
store, which was kept by Alpheus BuUard, on Broad street, in the north 
part of the village where the widow Co.\ now rcsiiles. It had l)een used as 
a storehouse by the public,and probably as early as the Revolutionary period. 
The war of 1812 did not materially detract from the settlement of this 
•locality, and the population soon after rapidly increased, especially in the 
"west part of the town where the mineral springs, by this time had become 
famous. Thereupon, in the year 1819, your territory was again divided, and 
the west half was organized into the town of Saratoga Springs, thus leaving 
the old town its present limits of about seven miles square. In the politics 
of the county, your town has borne no small part. Without including her 
former large territory even the small locality embraced within her present 
boundrries, has furnished members of the legislature of thi^ state, viz : John 
B. Schuyler, A. D. 1795; Daniel Bull, 1800, and for two years; Jesse Mott, 
1806, and for three years; George Cramer, 1816 ; Philip Schuyler, 1825; 
James Brisbin jr. 1832; Walter Van Vegbten, 1838; William Wilcox, 1845; 
Henry Holmes, 1853 ; Samuel J. Moll, 1867. Besides those elected while 
residing hen', many of her natives were promoted from other localities ; for 
instance, Conrad Cramer was elected from Northumberland, in 1822, and 
more recently, Joseph W. Hill, from Saratoga Springs, in 1871. John 
Cramer, who removed to Waterford about the year 1800, was frequently 
elected to assembly and senate, and twice to congress. It has been truly 
said of him that he exerted more political influence in his locality, taking 
the number of years into account, than any other man of his time. John B. 
Brisbin, a native of this place, also has been a senator from Minnesota, and, 
if time would permit, many others might be mentioned who have become 
conspicuous in official positions in dirtVrent sections of the union. Time, and 
the spirit of the American people to move forward into new tields of enter- 
prise, have, here as everywhere, worked mighty ciianges. Of the men who 
were in our army under Gen. Gates, in the great campaign of 1777, we do 
not find the descendants of but four now residing in this village. One, the 
family of George Strover, who was a son of John Strover, before mentioned. 
Second, the family of the widow of Doctor Oliver Brisbui, a grand daughter 
of Col. John Bill, who was a lieutenant in the campaign, and a distant 
relative of Gen. Washington. Third, GordiiU and Charles Van Volken- 
burgh, the former of whom yet preserves the musket carried by his grand- 
father, Lambert Van Voikenburgh during that eventful campaign. Fourth, 



HISTORY OF SARATOQA, 21 

captaia aad afterwards major Hezeklah Dualiam, before meatioaed, tlie 
aacestor of Satauel Wells, esq., J. H. Dilliaghatu, aad other residents of this 
village. Tliere are many other residents here who had ancestors in the army 
of the revolution, but they did not serve in the campaign of 1777, in this 
locality, so far as we have been able to ascertain. Of the patriots who served 
in the war of the revolution, none remain. Of those who served in the war 
of 1813, but two now reside in your village, William McCreedy and George 
Strover ; the former of whom to-day, with elastic step, walked in your 
procession. 

Time has worked mighty changes in human events. For a century and a 
half this county was the theatre of the contest between the protestant English 
and catholic French forces of the religious world. By the fall of Quebec and 
the peace of 1763, with the aid of our people, the British became master of 
this continent. After the surrender of Burgoyne in 1777 that same catholic 
French nation, joined us in the struggle against the British empire, and with 
their aid, we established a nation where religious freedom is secured to all 
mankind. Hence as a result we have this day witnessed the pleasing spec- 
tacle of a procession of Sunday school children, in which the protestant and 
catholic have marched through your streets under the stars and stripes in 
beautiful harmony. Thus an all wise Providence overrules the ambitions 
of men for the benefit of the cause of progress and righteousness. 

One hundred years ago our colonies had less than three millions of people, 
while now it has over forty, and is one of the most powerful nations on the 
globe. Then the district of Saratoga, comprising one-third of the present 
county, did not exceed 3,000 inhabitants. Now the same territory contains 
30,000 living souls. Then the locality of seven miles square, which forma 
the present town, had probably less than 800, while the census of last year 
shows a population of 4,393. Then this beautiful elevation north of Fish 
creek, had less than a score of inhabitants. Now it has two villages and 
over 3,000 intelligent fieeman, with the prospect of being a numerous city, 
in the early future. Then the soil, wild and mostly uncultivated ; now 
blooming like the rose, and affording abundance of grains and fruits to make 
glad the heart of ciyilized man. Then the streams locatec here by a benefi- 
cent Creator, were running to waste. Now, harnessed by man's intellect, 
they are doing the work of a thousand hands. Then the fort and the army 
demanded the exertions of the public. Now the arts of peace are ftourish- 
ing around us, while the education of our children and the development of 
the races demand the best thought of mankind. Then the romance and 
horrors of war were familiar to every ear. Now we feel confident that 
those days have gone by forever, so far as our people are concerned, and the 
time is now here when we can safely "beat the sword into the plowshare, 
and the spear into pruning hooks." Had the wildest enthusiast one hundred 
years ago predicted the great nation of power, of civilization and intelli- 
gence, that July 4, 1876, would witness on this continent, he would have 
been called a madman. Twenty years ago if any such enthusiast had pre- 
dicted that, on this day the stars and stripes would float over a nation, free 
without a slave, he certainly would haye been counted unfit to manage the 



22 HISTORY OF SARATOGA. 

ordinary aftairs of life. Yet, tUat time forettld by the Propliet laaiah hu 
come, wlien every man in our country, can plant his own Tine and eat of tho 
fruit tliereof. And, to-day, the praise and prayer of forty millions of happy 
people unite and are. ascending in thankfulness to God for the manifold 
blessings won for them by the patriotism of their fathers. It dwelling 30 
fully upon the terrible tragedies of the past wo do not intend to concede 
that such an age is to be held up as a model for future generations ; on the 
contrary we believe that the parent or child who spealss the truth, deals 
justly, performs his duty, and dares to do right, will be a saint, exalted ia 
heaven far above the CjBsars and Napoleons, made famous upon the records 
of human history. You are justly proud of your old Saratoga, of its hills 
and valleys, its patriotic and intelligent people, and of its historic fame. So 
long as man continues to love the truth and do the right, will the govern- 
ment, by the people, and for the people, declared an experiment one hun- 
dred years ago, continue to be a success, to protect and bless mankind through 
the centuries of the great future. 



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